No. 90.
Mr. Frelinghuysen to Mr. Cheng Tsao
Ju.
Washington, February 23, 1883.
Sir: Referring to your note of the 5th instant, concerning the operation of Rule 3 of circular No. 5 issued by the Treasury Department January 23, 1883, governing the “transit of Chinese laborers over the territory of the United States in the course of a journey to or from other countries,” I have now the honor to apprise you of the receipt of a letter of the 16th instant from the Acting Secretary of the Treasury on the subject.
Concerning your intimation that such rule should discriminate between those persons who may be prosecuting their journey voluntarily and those who may be vouched for by the agent of the transportation company over whose lines they may travel, and Chinese laborers who come to this country in large bodies from China, under contract, Mr. French expresses the opinion that the Treasury Department could not; inquire into the character of the persons who may be affected by that circular, but holds that if they are laborers in transit over the territory of the United States and in charge of any agent, they come within the rule specified.
Accept, &c.,